Last night the great nation of England, after searching the nation's bloated ranks of overpaid and talentless puffed-up prima donnas which comprise the professional footballing fraternity, took to the field in order to face, our great friends, Germany. Admittedly, there was little riding on the actual outcome of the game, it being a friendly and all, but such an abysmal showing (lost 2-1) is a little difficult to stomach, what?
Where was the English fighting spirit? A cheeky quart of vodka would have gone down a storm and no mistake. We may have been vanquished by the scheming Hun on the football field but when it comes down to the nitty and, indeed, the gritty, we Englanders can puff out out manly bosoms and feel a swelling of national pride, standing firm and implacably erect as we remember our two penalty shoot-out victories over the sausage-munching Bosh in war-fighting. Third time lucky? Not on my watch Fritz.
Ask any schoolboy who is the best at winning wars and, quick as a flash, he'll reply, "England, Sir". We're a fighting nation alright. I can vividly recall sitting on Grandfather's knee as he regaled us with tales of derring-do and heroism. He particularly enjoyed telling the tale of how he came to shoot fifteen Germans on the beaches of Normandy. Unfortunately, that was in 1978 and caused a minor diplomatic incident. Still, that Bavarian school party's trip to France will live long in the memory, what?
'This is a Low' - Blur